Conveyer for can washing machines



Nov. 10, 1931. I l. HIPPENMEYER CONVEYER FOR CAN WASHING MACHINES FiledJuly 5, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 wax Nov. 10, 1931. I. R. HlPPENMEYERCONVEYER FOR CAN WASHING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 5, 1929Patented Nov. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES PA unass- TENTH oF ics I IRVING R.nrrrnmvrnynn, or WAUKE SHA, wrsconsm, ASSIGNOR'TO THE cRnAMEaY- PACKAGEMFG. COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATIONILIJINOIS CONVEYER FORCAN WASHING M'ACHIN ES 2 Application filed m 5, 1929. Serial No.376,254.

The invention relates to milk can Washing machines of the type in whichthe cans are moved through a succession of zones wherein they aresubjected to cleansing treatment, and

more particularly relates to the conveying m ing zones means in suchmachines.

In themachine herein disclosed, an end-.

less conveyer is employed to' carry the cans through a circuitousarrangement of cleanswherein various treating. devices operate upon thesuccession of cans while they rest with the intermittent movement of theconveyer, as further disclosed in my co pending applications bearingSerialNumbers 376.255 and 376,256, filed July 5,1929. The principalobject of the invention is to provide a horizontally operablegendlessconveyer including a series of laterally supported spaced holders formilk cans and their covers by which the cans and covers are conveyedsuccessivelyinto operative relation with the cleansingdevices. Otherobjects include provision in the conveyor of a construction whereby thelaterally supported holders are maintained in upright position, a covercarrier which facilitates the placing and removal of the covers, and acan holder adapted to aid the removal of the can after treatment. Otherobjects and advantages will be apparent in the following detaileddescription of a. preferred embodiment of'the invention which I haveselected for illustration in the accompanying drawings. It will beunderstood, however,-that various changes in form, construction, andarrangement may be made by those skilled in the art, without departingfrom the scope and spirit of the invention, as expressed in the appendedclaims.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a fractional side View in elevationof a portion of the conveyer as mounted on the machine frame. Fig. 2.isa partial cross-sectional view in elevation of the machine showing theconveyer as seen on the plane of the l ine 22 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is asectional plan view of a portion of the conveyer showing-one of the canholders as seen on the plane oftheline 3--.3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is adetailed plan .view ofthe bottom can supporting member in one of theholders line4+4 in- .Fig. 1.- Fig. 5 is a detailed plan view of oneofthe cover carriers. In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicatesa vertically positioned drive shaft having itsbearings in brackets 2 and3, supported upon the partition walls 4 of the machine. The drive shaft1 isrotatedinten' miitently by means of a conventional Geneva stopmechanism 5 receiving power from a suitable source (not shown). Securedon the shaft 1 is an uppersprocket 116 and a lower sprocket 17- whichextend through openings in the sidewalls 4 and respectively support, atone en-dof; their operative runs, of chain or link belts 18'and 19extending longitudinally of the machine The opposite ends of thebeltruns are'supported upon a similarly positioned pair of idlerI sprocketsand shaft (not shown). Regularlyspacedalong and securedto the belts .18vand 19 is a series of can holders, each comprising a pair ofhorizontally positioned laterally open U shaped straps20 providinglateral support fora can 21 standing within them, the outer ends oftheupper and lower straps preferably being connectedas by upright straps22. A bottom grid plate 23supports the weight of the can invertedthereupon with its open mouth portion resting uponithe open grid throughwhich the cleansing fluids are introduced into the can; The side straps20 are rearwardly fiXedupon an upright bar 24 which is attached at itsupper and lower ends I lower roller brackets 25 and 26, the latter beingsecured to appropriatelyformed links inthe chain belts 18 and 19. g Eachof the brackets 25 and 26 is provided with a pair of-rollers 27, therollers of the upper brackets operatively bearing upon a stationary rail28 andthose of the lower bra ckets bearing upon another stationary rail29. ,The rails 28 and29. are positioned respectively below and and 19throughout their paths of travel, and are suitably mounted upon theadjacent walls of the machine. The rails 28 and 29 support the weightand guide the movement of the can holders and their contents, while thebelts respectively to upper and i parallel to the belts 18 as seen onthe=plane of :the l 18 and 19 serve as operating and spacing means forthe holders.

The grid plate 23 of each holder is rearwardly supported by horizontalpivotal attachment, as at 30, to the lower bracket 26,

and is frontwardly' supported by rollers 31 pivoted thereon'and bearingupon' a stationary rail 32 positioned outwardly of and parallel to thepath of the bracket 26, and having suitable support on the frame of themachinery. The rail 32 serves to maintain the pivoted grid plates 23 inhorizontal position throughout their travel, except at the point wherethe cans are discharged from the holders after the cleansing treatmentis completed. As illustrated at 33, a portion of the rail is lowered asubstantial distance, the lowered portion being disconnected at one endand inclined upwardly at the other end to the normal horizontal plane ofthe rail. As the can holders reach this lowered portion of rail, therollers 31 pass from the level portion of rail and drop with the plate23 to the'lowered portion 33, thus outwardly tipping acan supported onthe plate to an angle causing it .to fall clear of the conveyer. IViththe further progress of the can holder, the upward inclination of thelowered portion of the rail to normal level lifts the plate 23 intohorizontal position in readiness to receive another can.

Rigidly mounted on the upper end of the bar 24, in each of the canholders, is an L shaped bracket 3 1 extending laterally outward in theform of spaced arms 35. Pivotally supported between the arms 35 is a cancover carrier .36 comprising a pair of spaced U shaped plates rearwardlysecured to a suitable spacer base, and adapted to receive and support acan cover 37 between their outwardly extending arms. A bell crank 38 ispivotally mounted upon the upper side of the bracket 34, one arm of thecrank being pivotally connected to a link 39, the latter also beingpivotally connected to the cover carrier 36 rearwardly of the carrierspivotal support. The other arm of the bell crank 38 carries a roller 40extending into operative contact with a stationary cam rail 41 havingsuitable support on the frame of the machine, and positioned parallel tothe path of movement of the bracket 3 except as to the portion 42immediately over the lowered portion 33 of the rail 32, the cam railportion 12 being curved inwardly for a substantial distance. The camrail actuates the bell crank in control of the position of the covercarrier. The outer ends of the latter normally are uptilted to retainthe cover by gravity during the cleansing treatment, and upon arrival atthe point of discharge of'the can, the carrier is lowered to horizontalto facilitate removal of the cover and replacement by another to becleaned, through the cam action of the portion 42 of the cam rail.

It will here be apparent that my compact arrangement of a conveyer forcans and covers, with a circuitous path of travel, permits saving ofmuch space occupied by the machine as compared with other machines ofthe straight-a-way type giving as much cleansing treatment. I haveretained the obvious advantages of the endless flexible belt as theactuating element in the conveyer, at the same time have provided forma1ntaining the can holders actuated thereby in upright position fortravel in a definitely controlled path in accurate register with thesuccessive devices for applying cleansing treatment to the cans andcovers.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a can washing machine, a can con veyer comprising a pair ofendless belts operatively supported in, horizontal parallel spaced pathsof movement, a common driving means for said belts,rand a series ofupright can holders secured to said belts and extending laterallytherefrom for movement thereby in a path laterally outward of saidbelts, said can holders being arranged for the lateral entry and removalof cans positioned therein.

2. In a can washing machine, acan conveyer comprising a pair of endlessbelts'having operative support for movement in horizontal parallelspaced paths, a pair of stationary rails positioned adj acentandparallel to said belts respectively, a series of upright can holderssecured laterally to said belts for movement in a path laterally outwardof said belts and having supporting brackets adapted for operativebearing upon said rails, said can holders having hinged bottom platesfor the under support of cans positioned therein, and a stationa'ry railpositioned beneath the path of said hinged bottom plates, said railnormally supporting saidbottom plates in horizontal position and havinga portion thereof positioned to cause said bottom plates to swingdownward while passing thereover.

3. In a can washing machine, a can conveyer comprising a series ofspaced can holders having lateral supporting brackets and having hingedcan-supporting bottom plates, a pair of stationary horizontal spacedparallel rails positioned for operative bearing thereupon by saidsupporting brackets for the s'upport'of said holders. a belt attached tosaid can holders and operable to move said can holders along said rails,and a stationary rail positioned under the path of said hinged bottomplates to normally support said bottom plates in horizontal position,said last rail having a portion thereof formed to cause said bottomplates to swing ing thereover.

4. In a can washing machine, a can conveyer comprising apair of endlessbelts having operative support for movement in horizontal parallel.spaced paths, a pair of staand.

downward while passare ' tending can supporting bottom plate pivotallymounted on said lower bracket, and a sta tionary rail positioned beneaththe path of movement of the free end of said bottom plate and supportingsaid free end, said last rail being formed to control therelativeposition of said bottom plate from normally horizontal to downwardlyinclined.

5. In a can washing machine, a can conveyer comprising a pair of endlessbelts having operative support for movement in horizontal parallelspaced paths, a pair of sta- V tionary rails positioned adjacent andparallel to said belts respectively, a pair of brackets respectivelyattached to said belts and respectively bearing operatively upon saidrails, an upright bar rigidly connecting said brackets, laterallyextending can retaining straps mounted on said bar, and a laterallyextending can supporting bottom plate mounted on the lower one of saidbrackets.

6. In a can washing machine, a can con veyer comprising a series ofupright can holders, means for supporting and moving said holdersprogressively in a defined path, each of said holders having mountedthereon a laterally extending bracket, a cover carrier pivotally mountedon said bracket and adapted to receive and retain .a can cover, a leverpivotally mounted on said bracket, a

tion with said carrier, and a stationary rail having operativeengagement with said lever to control the position of said carrier, saidlast rail being formed to cause said carrier to swing from normallyupwardly inclined position to horizontal position when said bottom plateis caused to swing into down- 'wardly inclined position.

In witness whereof I have hereunto attached my signature. 1

IRVING R. HIPPENMEYER.

link pivotally connecting said carrier and said lever, and a stationaryrail positioned adjacent to the path of movement of said bracket, saidrail having operative engagement with said lever to control the positionof said carrier and to cause said carrier to swing from normallyinclined position to horizontal position.

7. In a can washing machine, a can conveyer comprising a pair of endlessbelts having operative support for movement in horizontal parallelspaced paths, a pair of stationary rails positioned adjacent andparallel to said belts respectively, a can holder attached to said beltsand'having operative bearing support upon said rails, said can holderhaving a hinged can supporting bottom plate, a stationary railpositioned to operatively support said bottom plate in normallyhorizontal position and having a portion thereof formed to cause saidbottom plate to swing downward while passing thereover, a bracketmounted'on said can holder, a cover carrier pivotally mounted on

